


Starstruck

by Lord_Bob



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Galaxy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Depression, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, In Character, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Super Mario Galaxy - Freeform, bowser finds love, bowser is depressed, bowser meets rosalina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Bob/pseuds/Lord_Bob
Summary: After yet another failed attempt to capture and subsequently marry Princess Peach, Bowser find himself questioning if he should continue his attempts toward her, or shift his focus to another girl who might be willing to give someone like him a chance.  As fate may have it, an unexpected visit from the great beyond may prove to provide the lonely Koopa with the love he desires.
Relationships: Princess Rosalina/Bowser
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	1. Depression

Feelings of gloom and dread could be expected when entering Bowser's Castle, yet on this particular day, those feelings seemed stronger than usual. Bowser sat alone in his dimly lit throne room. Empty snack bags and takeout containers littered the floor around him. Bowser himself sat in a near vegetative state, only leaving his throne to return to bed, and repeat the process the following day. This depressive cycle had continued on for nearly two weeks when Kamek decided he needed to take matters into his own hands.

“Your Highness?” he said as he entered the throne room.

“What do you want?” Bowser replied grumpily.

“Well you see, I know it's perfectly normal for you to get upset for a few days after a plan of yours fails, but this has gotten out of hand. I need you to tell me what is going on.”

“Nothing is wrong. now if that's all you wanted, you can go away.”

Kamek stormed up to the throne and confronted Bowser.

“Alright listen up now,” Kamek retorted in an assertive tone, “I have been your caretaker and advisor for nearly the past thirty years of my life, and I'm not about to throw that all away because you refuse to get out of this rut! Now I want an answer, and I'm not leaving until I get one!”

Kamek was red in the face, and Bowser could tell he meant what he said. There was no point in trying to push Kamek away, he thought to himself.

“Okay, fine,” he grumbled, “If you're gonna be so pushy about it, I guess I have no choice. I've had this feeling that even if I succeeded in taking Peach for my own, that I still wouldn't be happy, and Junior especially wouldn't be happy. I don't know why any of this recently occurred to me, but it's been keeping me down ever since.”

Kamek pondered what Bowser said for a moment, “Sounds to me like you've begun to doubt yourself on this whole kidnapping thing. I'm thinking you might need to give up on Peach, and try your luck with another girl.”

“But who else is there to kidnap?” Bowser asked.

“No, I don't mean find someone else to kidnap. I mean, well... Get into an actual relationship, like take a girl out on a date.”

“A date!?” Bowser replied, “You can't be serious!”

“Well my thinking is that you realized forcing the Princess into an involuntary relationship with you would only cause problems in the future for you and Junior, and that's why you got depressed in the first place. If you found another girl and got to know her, you just might be able to form a healthy relationship.”

“I think I see what you mean, Kamek. This is exactly why I have you as my advisor!”

“Well, actually, it was your father's decision, but okay...” Kamek muttered under his breath.

“Our first order of business from here on out is to find me a girl that I can take out on a date!”

Bowser went silent for a moment, “Uh, how do we do that?”

“Well that's the tricky part. Peach is unlikely to want to go out with you due to, well, past behavior we'll call it. So let's start by going over the girls we know of. There was that one other princess that Peach always has over at her castle, her name is Daisy I believe.”

“Oh yeah, I remember her.”

Bowser thought back to the time he tried to kidnap Daisy. He remembered her voice quite clearly. This was mostly because she would not shut up, and it became so unbearable that he turned around and brought her back to where he found her.

“Your Highness? Are you okay?” Kamek asked Bowser, who was traumatized by the memory of the incident.

Bowser suddenly exclaimed, “Oh god no, anything but that again!”

“Okay, clearly we need another option. What about that little mushroom girl that Mario had helping him a while back.”

“What? No. Gross. That's weird. Why would I ever want to go out on a date with a walking fungus?”

“Good point,” Kamek replied, “but who else does that leave us with though?”

Bowser slumped back down into his throne and put his hands over his face.

“Oh it's hopeless, I'm not gonna find anyone else. The only thing I'm good at is kidnapping, and even that fails every time I try it.”

Right when Bowser was about to give up, there was a knock on the door of his throne room.

“Permission to enter?” A voice from the other side said.

“Permission granted.” Kamek replied.

The doors slowly creaked open to reveal a single Goomba on the other side.

“Lord Bowser, Master Kamek, the astronomy team has detected a large object headed toward our planet. It appears to be on course to land in the Mushroom Kingdom. Estimated time until arrival is T minus 30 minutes”

Kamek turned to Bowser, “If that's what I think it is, we might have your answer. We're going to go investigate.” he then turned to the goomba, “Have the Clown Car prepared for takeoff, we will be personally investigating the landing site.” he turned to Bowser again, “Sir, I believe we're going to find your girl.”


	2. Rosalina's Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamek had brought Bowser out in hopes of finding him new love. As luck may have it, a certain someone from outer space happened to be visiting. Will Bowser find a way to express his

When Bowser and Kamek began to approach the landing site, they found that Mario, Peach, and several Toads were already there. Not wanting to be seen, they immediately landed and hid in the nearby shrubbery.

“Would you mind telling me how hiding in a bush is gonna solve my problems?” Bowser whispered.

“Well since I have some time,” Kamek replied, “I might as well. Do you remember the times you tried to kidnap Peach and bring her to outer space?”

“Yeah, I remember that. There was a big black hole, and the universe almost got destroyed. It was all really weird.”

“Okay do you remember there was a comet that you siphoned power stars from to travel the universe?”

“Yeah I believe so.”

“Normally, that comet arrives at this planet once every hundred years, but it's making a surprise visit, and more importantly, it's landing right here. Do you know what this means?”

“That it's gonna explode and we're all gonna die?”

Kamek paused for a moment to process what Bowser had just said.

“What? No. It means that it's not a comet, it's a manned spacecraft. So I had the astronomy team keep an eye on it. Based on what those little star creatures said during our little space adventure, I have ample reason to believe that a woman is piloting that spacecraft. If my hypothesis is correct, this may be your chance to get a proper girlfriend.”

“Oh, I understand now. So we're not all gonna die?”

“Just pay attention, because it should be landing any minute now.”

A loud rumble began to fill the air, and a large gust of wind swept across the field. A spacecraft descended from behind the clouds, coming to rest in the open field. The Toads quickly scrambled to move a staircase to the end of a walkway on the ship. Other Toads began to roll a red carpet down the stairs. As they finished a woman in a blue dress stepped down the stairs and approached Mario and Peach.

“Rosalina, I'm so glad you could make it.” Peach said.

“Welcome back, Rosalina.” Mario added.

“I appreciate the warm welcome, but you didn't have to literally roll out the red carpet for me.” Rosalina said half-jokingly.

From his hiding spot, Bowser could barely hold his excitement. His eyes widened as he took in what he saw. The way Rosalina talked, and the way she presented herself to her friends. He immediately fell in love with the girl he saw in front of him, and knew she was the one for him.

“Kamek I don't believe it! Look at her, isn't she beautiful? This is my chance to finally get a girlfriend!” he said in excitement.

“Not so loud, sir,” Kamek replied, “you'll blow our cover.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”

Rosalina stopped and looked up for a moment.

“Do you have this feeling that we're being watched at the moment?” she said.

“No, what do you mean?” Peach replied.

“Oh it's probably nothing. By the way, where is Luigi?”

“He's back at the castle preparing for your visit.” Mario answered.

“Speaking of which,” Peach added, “we should be heading there now.”

“Very well then,” Rosalina said, “lead the way,”

As the three made their way to Peach's Castle, Bowser and Kamek returned to Bowser's Castle.

“Kamek did you see her?” Bowser said, “She's so pretty, and the way she talks, it's so charming and elegant! I'm gonna ask her out and finally get a girlfriend!”

“Well, not exactly,” Kamek said, “there's a good chance she might recognize you from that time you stole all her power stars.”

Bowser stopped cold, and realized what Kamek had said.

“Oh no, you're right!” Bowser began to panic, “She's gonna recognize me, she's gonna reject me, and it's only gonna make my problem worse, because she's probably the only option I have left.”

“Calm down sir, there is still one thing you can try.”

“What is it?”

“If you apologize to her, she might be willing to forgive you, and you'll have another chance with her.”

The look of panic on Bowser's face was replaced with one of confusion.

“Apologize? That's something I don't think I've done in a while.”

“I suppose it comes with being the villain.” Kamek said under his breath.

“Man, this is gonna be difficult. I really gotta think this over.”

“The way I see it, if she truly is your only option left, chickening out of this would leave you back to kidnapping Peach. I know how much you don't want to end up in a situation like that, and I know how much you don't want Junior to end up there either.”

“You're right, if I want us to be happy, I need to do this. I'll ask her out first thing tomorrow morning!.”

Kamek headed to leave the room, but he stopped for a moment and turned around.

“I wish you the best of luck, Lord Bowser.” he said.

“Thank you, Kamek. I'm gonna need all the luck I can get.”


	3. Asking Her Out

“Wake up sleepyhead!” Kamek exclaimed.

“Give me five more minutes.” Bowser said, half awake.

“You said you were going to ask Rosalina out this morning. It's already eleven!.”

Bowser immediately opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He looked to his window to see the sun already high in the sky.

“Oh shoot, you're right!”

He leapt out of bed and scrambled to get himself ready as fast as possible. Making quite the mess along the way.

“Alright, wish me luck!” he said as he scrambled out the door.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this.” Kamek said to himself.

When Bowser arrived at the Toad Town entrance, there were two Toads standing guard. When they saw Bowser they both ducked behind their shields.

“D-don't come any closer! I'm warning you!” One of the Toads said as he pointed his spear at Bowser.

“Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble.” Bowser said, “Do you happen to know where that girl from space is right now?”

The Toad began to tremble more.

“Y-you'll never get a word out of me! N-never!”

“Alright. Maybe that other guy over there knows-”

“Okay, okay! I'll talk. Just please don't hurt me. She's with the princess right now. Last I heard they were in the town park.”

“Okay thanks for the help.”

Bowser calmly headed on past the gate. Both of the Toads scared stiff behind him. As Bowser walked through the center of the town, he noticed that it was rather deserted.

“Huh, I guess everyone decided to sleep in, too.” he thought to himself, unaware that all the Toads had fled at the sight of Bowser entering the town.

In the Toad Town park, Peach and Rosalina sat on a bench by a pond as they discussed their plans for the day.

“I think we should go to the mall today.” Peach said, “I saw this cute summer dress I think you'd love.”

“I figured we could work on getting those starships we planned to build up and running.” Rosalina suggested, “The sooner we get that done, the more time we'll have to do other things during my visit.”

“Why do you want to do the boring stuff? You know, I was really looking forward to- Oh my goodness!”

Peach leapt from the bench she was sitting on and dove into a nearby bush. Confused, Rosalina turned her head to see Bowser standing next to her, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Whoops, sorry I startled you, Peach.” Bowser said.

“What are you doing here!” Peach shouted from inside the bush, “How did you get past the guards! Mario, help!”

“Relax, Peach. I'm not here for you. I'm here to talk to Rosalina.”

“Is that so?” Rosalina replied, “How can I help you?”

“My name is Bowser, and well, uh..”

“Wait a minute.” Rosalina interrupted, “Aren't you the one who stole the fuel from my ship, kidnapped Peach into deep space, and nearly destroyed the entire universe?”

“Yeah well about that.” Bowser paused for a moment, “Listen, I'm real sorry about all of that, and I want to change for the better. I'm done kidnapping, and I wanted to try my hand with another girl. I heard you were in the area, so-”

Peach climbed out of the bush, and almost couldn't believe what she was hearing.

“Am I hearing this right?” she interrupted, “You want to take Rosalina on a date?”

“Well I guess that's one way to put it.”

Peach began to laugh hysterically. Rosalina looked at her disappointedly, and Bowser began to get embarrassed.

“Oh that's just hilarious!” she said when she finally calmed down, “What are you going to do next? Rescue me from Mario?”

Rosalina turned to Bowser, and looked at him with a warm smile.

“I won't hold a grudge, Bowser.” she said, “A date sounds lovely. What did you have in mind?”

Peach's laughter quickly turned into confusion. She thought she had heard it all when Bowser wanted to take Rosalina on a date. She didn't expect Rosalina to actually accept.

“Well there's this diner not far from here. They've got the best breakfast I know of. I figured we could meet there tomorrow morning.”

“Alright, what time do you want to meet there?”

“How does ten o'clock sound?”

“Sounds great. Oh, where is this diner exactly?”

Bowser handed Rosalina a small piece of paper.

“Here, I wrote the address down in the event that you accepted. This way you won't forget.”

“Thank you very much, I'll see you there.”

“Thank you so much, Rosalina.” Bowser said as he happily skipped back home.

Peach sat back down on the bench beside Rosalina.

“I don't get it, Rosalina.” she said, “Bowser has caused this kingdom nothing but trouble for as long as I can remember, and now you just agreed to go on a date with him. Are you out of your mind?”

“Well Peach,” Rosalina replied, “I believe he truly wants to be a better person like he said. If that's true, he is deserving of a second chance. You may not be ready to give it to him yet, but I am.”

“When you put it like that, I guess it makes sense.”

“Let's get started on that project of ours. We're not going to have much time to work on it tomorrow. I have to say my visit took a bit of an unexpected turn.”

Peach and Rosalina stood up and returned to the castle. On their way back, Peach saw that Rosalina looked happier than usual.

Bowser burst through the front door of his castle. He had never looked happier.

“Kamek guess what!” Bowser shouted with glee, “She said yes!”

“I'm certainly very proud of you, Lord Bowser.” Kamek replied, “However there is something I thought of while you were gone that I should tell you.”

“Oh, what is it now?” Bowser said unenthusiastically.

“Should this relationship continue, it is crucial that you respect Rosalina's independence.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that this isn't kidnapping anymore. You have to let her have a say in what you do and when you do it. In return, she will do the same for you.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.” Bowser said, “Man, I can't believe I'm actually gonna go on a date!”


	4. First Date

“Miss Rosalina, as you sure that it is a good idea to go on a date with that beast, especially after what he did to you and Mario?” Polari, the eldest of the Lumas said.

Rosalina sat in front of the mirror in her room, brushing her hair in preparation for her date that morning.

“Polari, you worry about me too much.” Rosalina replied, “I must admit, I am a bit nervous, but I think this will be beneficial to the both of us.”

“It's just that. I couldn't imagine what I would do if something happened to you. What would the Lumas do without you? They need you.”

“I'm glad you care so much for me, but I can take care of myself. I've managed to do it for the past several hundred years after all.”

“Alright if you insist, but please don't stay out too long. You'll make me worried sick.”

“I'm only going out for breakfast. I'll be back before noon.”

Rosalina departed from the Comet Observatory and went on her way to meet Bowser. On her way out she ran into Princess Peach.

“Rosalina! Good morning!” Peach shouted as she ran toward her.

“Peach, good morning to you too.” Rosalina replied, “I don't have much time to talk, I need to be at that diner in a half hour.”

“About that date. Aren't you a bit concerned something might happen, and Bowser could just snap, or what if it's a trap and he's trying to take over the universe again?”

Rosalina shrugged as she continued on her way, while Peach followed.

“Oh you sound just like Polari. Yes I am nervous. This is my first time going out with someone. How do you think I feel? I don't think anything bad is going to happen, though.”

“I still don't understand how someone can just flip like that in a matter of weeks. To be attempting a forced marriage one day, and then politely asking another girl out the next.”

“Maybe you're not giving Bowser enough credit. Maybe he realized that kidnapping wasn't going to make him happy. Either way, you should be glad he's stopped trying. It's one less problem for you to worry about.”

Peach stopped for a moment and began to grin.

“Hey yeah, you're right! I don't have to be kidnapped anymore! I can actually tend to the needs of my kingdom! Thank you so much, Rosalina.”

“Well, let's hope this date goes well. Otherwise, he might try going out with you next.”

Peach's grin was replaced with a look of disgust and terror.

“Ew. No. I'd rather be kidnapped than go out on a date with that turtle.”

Rosalina looked up at the clock in the center of the town. It was twenty minutes to ten.

“Oh no, I really should be going now. I'll tell you how it goes when I get back!”

Rosalina flew off, following the directions she wrote down to get to the address Bowser gave her.

“All the things I can do now that he's out of my hair.” Peach said to herself.

When Rosalina arrived at the diner, she found that Bowser was already there waiting for her.

“I guess we both decided to show up a little early, huh?” he said.

“I guess so.” Rosalina replied.

“I don't see much point in standing around out here.” Bowser said as he opened the door, gesturing towards it, “After you.”

Rosalina smiled a little bit, “Oh you're too kind.”

They both made their way up to the front counter.

“I'd like a table for two please.” Bowser said.

The Koopa working at the front counter looked up and appeared excited to see Bowser.

“Well if it isn't King Bowser himself!” The Koopa said, “I haven't seen you around here in a month! Say, who's this girl you got with you? Are you kidnapping a new princess?”

“No, this is Rosalina. I'm not kidnapping her. We're uh, on a date.”

“First Bowser disappears from the face of the earth, and then all the sudden he comes back with a girlfriend? This has gotta be the craziest day of my life! Anyway let me get your table ready.”

The Koopa led Bowser and Rosalina to a booth at the window of the diner. He then handed them both menus.

“Let's get your order ready, alright?” he said.

“Rosalina, you can go first. Get whatever you'd like” Bowser said.

“Oh, alright.” Rosalina replied, “I think I'll take the herb tea, and the pancakes.”

“Tea and pancakes, got it, and what about the big boss?”

“Who, me?” Bowser said, “I'll get the dark coffee, and the bacon and eggs.”

“Eggs and bacon with coffee for the Koopa, and pancakes with tea for the princess. Coming right up.”

The Koopa took the menus from Bowser and Rosalina, and left into the kitchen.

“So, Rosalina. Tell me a little bit about yourself.” Bowser said as he turned toward her.

“Oh, like what?” she replied.

“Well, you live up in space. I can't imagine there's much to do up there. What kinds of things do you do to occupy yourself?”

“Well a lot of my time is taken up looking after the Lumas, as they are my children.”

“Oh you have children?” Bowser interrupted.

“I'm sorry, is that something you're concerned about?” Rosalina asked.

“Oh, no not at all. I actually have a son of my own.”

“That's wonderful. I'd like to meet him sometime.”

“I'll introduce you to him to you someday. Maybe we can have our children meet up together.”

“I write stories to tell to the Lumas, maybe you can bring him over for storytime.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

The Koopa walked up to the table Bowser and Rosalina were sitting at with two mugs in his hands.

“Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting anything here. Here's your drinks.” he said.

“Thank you very much.” Rosalina said.

“Don't hesitate to call me over if you need a refill, and your food will be out soon.”

The Koopa walked away, and Rosalina and Bowser continued talking.

“So how did you end up in space, and as the mother of all those Lumas?” Bowser asked.

Rosalina stopped drinking her tea, and looked down slightly.

“It's a bit of a long story, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable telling it to someone I just met, especially in public.” she said.

“Oh, I understand. Maybe another time.”

There was a brief pause as the two sipped from their drinks, thinking of what to ask the other. Rosalina was the first to break the silence.

“So why exactly did you decide to stop kidnapping Peach, and ask me out?” she said.

“Well,” Bowser stopped to collect his thoughts, “After the last time I was thwarted by Mario, it hit me that kidnapping Peach over and over would only lead to me being unhappy, so when I found out that you were visiting here, I decided to ask you out on a date. I figured I could have a somewhat fresh start with a girl.”

“Well I'm very glad that you decided to change your life for the better. I do have to ask, was having a girlfriend the only reason you tried kidnapping Peach?”

“No, actually. You see my father, he..”

Bowser began to tear up. He lowered his head as he struggled to speak.

“He wanted me to..”

Rosalina could see that Bowser was getting upset. She decided it would be best to change the subject.

“Is it a touchy subject for you?” she asked.

Bowser slowly nodded his head as he tried to keep the tears in.

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. We can talk about something else. Like, um, what is your son like?”

“Thank you Rosalina,” Bowser said, “My son, Junior. He's the best thing I've ever had in my life. Everyone always tells me he's just like me when  
I was his age. I think he likes when people say that about him.”

“Sounds like he wants to be just like his dad when he grows up.” Rosalina said.

“Yeah, definitely. I'm hoping to provide a better childhood for him though. I want to provide the best I can for him, so that way he can be fit to rule our kingdom after me.”

“I think it's wonderful that you want to do that for your son.”

As Bowser and Rosalina talked, the Koopa entered from the kitchen with two plates. He brought them over to the table and sat them down in front of the two.

“Here you go.” he said, “Enjoy your meal, and let me know if you need anything else.”

“That was pretty fast compared to usual.” Bowser said.

“Hey, you two showed up at the perfect time. We don't get many more people here until the lunch crowd. You had the only order when you got here.”

The Koopa left to attend to the other customers in the diner. Bowser and Rosalina began to eat their meals.

“I never understood why they always put this leaf on top of the food. What's it even for? You never eat it, unless you're weird.” Bowser said.

“I'm pretty sure it's to make the food look nicer when they present it.” Rosalina said.

“Well I ordered the food to eat it, not to look at it. If I wanted to look at food, I'd go to a modern art museum.”

Rosalina laughed at Bowser's comments.

“You know, Bowser.” she said, “You've got a great sense of humor.”

“Thanks,” he said, blushing slightly, “I never really considered comedy as something I was good at, but I guess you learn something new every day.”

Bowser and Rosalina continued to eat their food. When they finished, they began to talk to each other.

“So Rosalina, what do you do in your free time?” Bowser said.

“Well I write stories, but I already told you that. I'm also learning to play the guitar.” Rosalina answered.

“Do you know any songs yet?”

“One or two. I'm not that good yet, but I'm getting there. What kind of stuff do you do in your downtime?”

“Me? Well I took up most of my free time plotting how to kidnap Peach, but now that I'm not doing that anymore, I'll probably have a lot of free time. Maybe I'll pick up an instrument, too, or play a sport.”

As they sat and rested, the Koopa came to check up on them again.

“Looks like you two are done here.” he said, “You want me to go get you the check?”

“Yeah, that'd be great.” Bowser said.

“Alright I'll be right back.”

“You know, Rosalina.” Bowser said, “I don't think I ever got the story of why you're visiting here. Is it just because you felt like it, or is there a reason behind it?”

“A bit of both actually.” she replied, “Peach sent a message to me asking if I could visit again. I replied telling her that I could visit, but it would be unlikely that I could again, as I need to live in space to take care of the Lumas. So we devised a plan to keep in touch. While I visit here, we're going to build a small fleet of starships for the Mushroom Kingdom. That way, we can meet up more often, and I don't have to abandon the Lumas to do it.”

“Hey, that's pretty neat. Maybe you could build one for me so we can meet up after you leave.”

“That could work. I'll need to gather the extra materials for it though.”

“I've got a whole kingdom at my disposal. Anything you need, you'll get.”

“Hey, here's your check.” the Koopa said as he returned to the table.

“Here's a little something for you.” Bowser said as he handed over a pouch of coins.

“Hey, thanks. I hope you two have a good day.”

“I don't believe I ever got your name.” Rosalina said to the Koopa.

“It's Kevin.”

“Well, Kevin. Thank you for everything.”

“Don't mention it, it's my job.”

“Alright, everything's paid for. It's about time we get going.” Bowser said.

“Hey don't go disappearing on me for a month again, okay?” Kevin said.

“I'll try not to.” Bowser replied.

As the two left the diner, Rosalina turned to Bowser.

“That was a wonderful date.” she said, “The food was some of the best I've had in a long time, and you were such a great person to talk to.”

“Aw, you're making me blush.” Bowser said, “How about we do this again some other time?”

“That would be great. It would have to be at least a few days from now, because I have to get those starships built for Peach. If you have anything in mind, please do tell me.”

“Actually, I was thinking you could pick what we do next. It would only be fair.”

“In that case, I'll have to think of something to do. How about we meet up at your place in a few days, and we'll figure out what to do from there?”

“Alright sounds like a plan.”

As the sun was high in the sky, the newly formed couple parted ways. Bowser was thrilled beyond belief that he was able to succeed in finding a girlfriend. Rosalina felt happy for both her and Bowser. She hoped to enjoy many more days like this one with him.


	5. A Continued Relationship

Rosalina returned to the Comet Observatory to let Polari know she was fine.

“Polari, I'm home.” she said as she boarded the ship.

Polari flew out from one of the rooms on the Observatory to greet her.

“Oh, thank goodness you're back, Rosalina.” Polari said, “A few more minutes and I would have sent the Lumas out to find you.”

“I told you I would be fine. Now I need to go to Peach's Castle. I promised Peach that I would tell her about the date when I got back.”

Rosalina left the ship once again and made her way to Peach's Castle. When she arrived, Peach was waiting for her outside the front door.

“Rosalina! How did the date go?” Peach said as she ran up to greet Rosalina.

Peach leaped up to hug Rosalina, nearly knocking her over in the process.

“I'm so glad you’re safe, Rosalina.” Peach said as Rosalina attempted to pry her off, “Tell me everything that happened. I've been dying to know all day.”

“I will,” Rosalina said, “but first, can you have a message sent to the Comet Observatory telling them I made it here okay? Polari is going to have a panic attack if he doesn't hear from me soon.”

Peach sent a Toad off to inform Polari of Rosalina's arrival, and the two girls entered the castle to discuss the events of the date. They made their way into the courtyard of the castle and sat down underneath a tree.

“So Rosalina, what happened?” Peach said, “Did he try to get you to marry him? Did he talk about anything weird?”

“Peach, calm down.” Rosalina said in reply, “Nothing bad happened. It was honestly a very pleasant time. We talked about ourselves and what we enjoy doing.”

Peach looked almost stunned by what she had just heard.

“What do you mean, you just talked?” she asked, “He never did that with me.”

“I was a bit surprised by that too. Especially because I never talk about myself with other people I don't already know or trust. There was something about him that made me feel, well, comfortable around him.”

“Wow. Maybe you were right about him changing. It sounds like you genuinely enjoyed the time spent with him. I can't say I ever would have been in that situation with him ever.”

“I could tell he also enjoyed the time we spent together. Well enough that we're going to be doing something again in a couple days.”

“Really? Like what?”

“I'm not sure. Bowser is letting me decide what to do.”

Peach was stunned by what she had just heard. Bowser of all people was letting Rosalina have a say in what they did together. Never once had Peach imagined him doing anything like this. She wasn't quite sure what to say about it.

“Well, you've got a few days to figure it out.” Peach said.

“Yeah I suppose you're right.” Rosalina said, “In the meantime, we've got to get started on those starships. After all, that's the main reason why I'm here.”

“One of them now that you've got yourself a boyfriend.”

“You're right about that.” Rosalina chuckled, “I can't say I would have expected something like this to happen, but we've got ourselves some work to do. Let's get started on this. I'll get the plans for the ships. Can you assemble some help for us?”

“I can gather a few Toads for the project.” Peach replied.

“Excellent. Let's get started.”

As Rosalina worked to build a small fleet of starships for Peach, she wondered what exactly about Bowser did she find so intriguing, that she began to talk about her personal life in a way she never had before. She figured she had a few days to dwell on it. In the meantime, she needed to come up with something for her and Bowser to do on their second date.

When the day of their second date had arrived, Bowser spent the entire day pacing the halls of his castle, waiting for Rosalina to arrive. He had not done anything but talk about Rosalina since their first date. While he was pacing, Kamek walked up to him to check on him.

“Kamek, I'm so excited!” Bowser said as he continued pacing the floor, with Kamek doing his best to keep up, “I've got so many great ideas for what we can do today!”

Kamek stopped Bowser before replying.

“Sir. If I recall, you promised Rosalina that she would choose the activities of today's date.” he said.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I did. Well I guess we'll just have to do them some other time.”

There was a knock on the front gate of the castle. Bowser and Kamek stopped talking and looked toward the sound.

“I believe that's her.” Kamek said, “Go get that gift you had for her.”

“Yeah, I'm going.” Bowser said as he ran off toward his room.

Outside the door, Rosalina patiently waited for someone to answer it. She didn't mind the heat from the lava moat around the castle. It was a nice change from the usual cold of space, she thought. Although she figured it couldn't hurt to wear something lighter next time she visits, as she might be a bit warm in her usual dress. When the door finally opened, Bowser was there to greet her himself.

“Hey Rosalina, I got you some flowers.” Bowser said as he held a bouquet of roses out to Rosalina.

“Oh, they're beautiful.” Rosalina said as she took them, “I know just the place to put them, but for now we should keep them inside. It seems unlikely they'd last long out here.”

“Good idea. Let's head inside and discuss our plans for today.”

Bowser held the door open for Rosalina and the two headed inside the castle. Rosalina placed the flowers delicately on a shelf near the front entrance.

“Your castle is very nice, Bowser.” Rosalina commented, “The lighting is very moody in here, and the colors work well together.”

“Thanks, I picked them myself, but I had a lot of help from my minions with the actual painting and decorating.”

Rosalina and Bowser continued down the hall into Bowser's bedroom, where they sat down to discuss their plans for the day.

“So did you have anything in mind for us to do?” Bowser asked.

“Well, I did think of one thing I'd like to do while I'm here.” Rosalina replied, “Remember on our first date when you asked if we could build a starship for you, so you can visit me after I leave?”

“I think I remember that. So you want to do that today?”

“Exactly.”

“That sounds kinda boring though. I figured maybe we could do something a bit more exciting.”

“It's actually not as boring as it sounds, and it would be best for us to do it as soon as possible, in case I don't have the time to do it again during my visit.”

“If you say so. What do we need to do?”

Rosalina pulled out a set of blueprints for a small starship. She rolled them out and laid them on the floor in front of her.

“Well to start, we're going to need to gather the necessary materials for construction.” she said.

“I'll have the minions gather them straight away.” Bowser said, “What do we need?”

“We're going to need a power star drive core. That will function as the main engine of the ship, allowing for deep space travel. Given the size the ship will need to be, we're going to need around twenty crates of plated steel for the hull.”

“Twenty crates?” Bowser replied, “We're gonna have to check the underground storage for that. We might not have enough here.”

“It's only an approximate measurement.” Rosalina said, “We might not need that much, but I'm giving us enough room to make the ship larger if need be. We'll also need a computer for the technical parts of the ship. I have a copy of the program we need installed, and any computer system would do.”

“You sure know a lot about this, Rosalina.”

“You'd be surprised what living on a spaceship for several centuries teaches you.”

Rosalina continued to list off the supplies to build the starship, and when she was done, Bowser called Kamek into the room to send the order off to the minions.

“Sir, I don't believe we even have a power star drive core.” Kamek said.

“Well then tell them to find or make one.” Bowser replied.

“Very well, sir. I will bring this to them at once.”

Kamek left to deliver the list of supplies to the minions.

“Who was that?” Rosalina asked Bowser.

“That's Kamek. He's my personal advisor, and was my caretaker when I was a child.” Bowser answered.

“He looks a bit overworked, doesn't he?”

“He's fine. He's just getting close to retirement, so he's doing as much as he can to get me ready to be on my own. Sometimes I feel like he overworks himself for me.”

Later, a squad of Goombas arrived carrying the materials requested to construct the starship. Bowser ordered the materials placed in the castle courtyard.

“Wow, I can't believe you guys actually found a drive core in the back of the storage.” Bowser said, “We really gotta clean that place up, who knows what else we might find in there.”

“Yeah... We found it back there. In the storage room...” one of the Goombas said.

“Alright, it looks like we have everything here. Let's get started.” Rosalina said.

“Goombas, you won't be needed for this project from here on out. Dismissed.” Bowser said.

The Goombas marched back into the castle, and a crew of Hammer Bros entered the courtyard.

“Hammer Squadron Delta reporting in, sir! We are ready to assist in any way you need.” The leader of the group said.

“That's the kind of team spirit I like to hear.” Bowser said, “Rosalina, what's the first thing we need to do?”

“The first thing we need to do is construct the bottom hull of the ship. We'll need a blowtorch and hammers to form the steel into the shape we need.”

“You heard the princess. Let's get moving!” Bowser said to the Hammer Bros.

The Hammer Bros immediately began to get to work, shaping the steel plates, and attaching them together, forming the bottom of the ship's hull.

“I wish I had a crew this talented when building the Comet Observatory.” Rosalina said, “I would have had it done in a quarter of the time if it wasn't just me and the Lumas.”

“These guys are the best mechanics in my entire kingdom.” Bowser said, “If anyone's gonna get this job done right, it's them.”

“Lord Bowser, what's the next step here?” the Hammer Bro leader said.

“The next thing to do is install the rocket boosters and fuel tank.” Rosalina instructed.

“Right away.”

The Hammer Bros resumed their work on the starship.

“Maybe I should help with this part.” Rosalina said, “It might be dangerous.”

“No, Rosalina!” Bowser shouted, “Just let them do their job. I don't want you getting hurt.”

“Bowser, don't worry. I've done this plenty of times before, I don't think I'd be in any danger if I just helped-”

“Sir, the boosters and fuel tank are installed and ready to go.” One of the Hammer Bros said.

“Already?” Rosalina said, “That was fast.”

“I told you these guys were good.”

As the construction of the starship continued, Rosalina and Bowser began to talk to each other in between giving instructions to the Hammer Bros.

“You know Rosalina. There's something I really like about you that I don't think I've ever seen in another girl.” Bowser said.

“Really? What is it?” Rosalina replied.

“You're very relaxed, and you seem like the kind of person to always keep a cool head no matter what. Even when someone like me, who has spent the past several years of his life wreaking havoc on the neighboring kingdom asks you out on a date, you didn't act out or seem frightened in the slightest.”

“Thank you, Bowser. I think something about you I like is your confidence. After all, how else would someone who spent the past several years of his life wreaking havoc on the neighboring kingdom work up the courage to ask me out on a date?”

“Yeah, I guess you're right.” Bowser laughed, “Thanks, Rosalina.”

The Hammer Bros continued to build the starship for the next few hours. The ship slowly began to look more and more complete. Finally, the Hammer Bros placed the finishing touches on the ship, and it was ready to launch.

“Hey it looks pretty neat.” Bowser commented, “It looks a lot like the airships I have, and there's plenty of room inside.”

“That's what I was trying to go for with this.” Rosalina said, “I have to say leading a project like that was a lot of fun. I've never done anything like it.”

“Excellent work team,” Bowser said to the Hammer Bros, “you're all dismissed.”

“A pleasure to help, Lord Bowser.” the leader of the Hammer Bros said as they marched off.

Rosalina and Bowser also returned inside the castle and continued talking to each other as they headed to the front door.

“Say Rosalina, it's getting kinda late. How would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Oh that would be wonderful. What are we having?”

“I'll have the chefs prepare the best food we've got. It will be a little while before it's ready, though.”

“Perfect, It will give me time to return home, and let the Lumas know that I'll be having dinner here.”

“Hey don't forget your flowers before you leave!” Bowser shouted to Rosalina as she left.

Rosalina picked up the flowers and left out the front door. After she left, Bowser made his way to the castle's kitchen.

“Chefs, front and center!” he said.

Three Koopas in white aprons scrambled to line up in front of Bowser, saluting him when they were in position.

“Here's the deal. We've got a guest staying for dinner tonight. I want you to prepare the best meal you possibly can. I want the dining table covered end to end with everything you've got. That's an order.”

“Yes, sir!” the Koopas shouted in unison, as they rushed to prepare the food.”

Bowser left to pace the hall again. He could hear the sounds of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. As he paced, he began to talk to himself.

“Those minions better not disappoint me, or I'll be serving them for tomorrow's dinner. I can't afford to make a fool of myself in front of Rosalina. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I lost her now. Maybe I'm overthinking this. Yeah, there's no way she'd just leave me over a dinner.”

As Bowser paced the floor, Bowser Jr. approached him. He stopped just in front of Bowser and tugged his arm to get his attention.

“Papa, is something wrong?” he said.

“Junior, I'm fine. It's just that... Well there's someone coming over for dinner, and-”

“Is it that girl you won't stop talking about?”

“Yes, it is. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of her, and I'm nervous that she might not enjoy the dinner.”

Bowser Jr. paused for a minute before responding, “You can do it, Papa. You can show her how much you love her.”

“Thanks, Junior. If anyone has the faith that I can do this, it's you. Just please try to let us be tonight. I'd like this to just be between the two of us. I promise you'll get to meet her soon.”

Bowser sat in his room and stared at the clock. It had been a half hour since Rosalina left. He wondered if dinner would be ready in time for her to show up. Would she even show up at all. What if she said she was getting ready just as an excuse to bail on him? Then Bowser remembered the words of his son. They were simple, yet they gave him the comfort he needed to keep calm.

As Bowser lay on his bed, he anxiously waited for Rosalina's return. When he heard a knock at the door, he sprang up and ran to answer it.

“I hope I'm not too late.” Rosalina said as Bowser opened the door, “The Lumas were giving me a bit of a hard time. It seems they're still not quite accustomed to me going out this often.”

“Don't worry about it, Rosalina. We're just finishing getting ready. You got here right on time.”

Bowser invited Rosalina in and they made their way to the dining room. He pulled out a chair for her, and he sat down in another chair across from hers.

“The food should be out soon. I hope you enjoy it.” he said.

Bowser's eyes darted around the candlelit room, trying to think of something to say.

“I guess in the meantime, we should get to know each other more. Like we could ask questions about each other.”

“What kinds of questions?” Rosalina asked.

“Like, uh... What's it like living in space for you?”

“It's very calm most of the time. Keeping an eye on the Lumas isn't as hectic as you would imagine. They tend to keep to themselves and not cause a lot of trouble. I still do give them plenty of care and attention. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't do that?”

Bowser stared affectionately toward Rosalina. The way she spoke mesmerized him, and he became lost in her eyes, or rather the one he could see.

“I have to admit, it gets a little lonely up there. Especially since I've been doing it for several hundred years now, but the Lumas make sure to keep me company when it gets bad.”

The Koopa chefs entered the dining room with a cart holding a large covered tray. They sat it down on top of the table, and lifted the cover.

“We present to you the finest meal we have to offer: Supreme Cut Steak, served with Lord Bowser's signature fiery steak sauce. We guarantee this will not disappoint.”

“Hey I knew you guys wouldn't let me down.” Bowser said.

Two of the Koopas began to serve the steak to Rosalina and Bowser while a third poured wine for them.

“I didn't expect you to go all fancy for this.” Rosalina said.

“Is that a problem?” Bowser asked.

“Oh no, not at all. It's actually been a while since I had a dinner like this.”

“Well I hope you enjoy the food.”

Bowser and Rosalina began to eat their food. Rosalina was a bit taken back by the strength of the sauce, but overall appeared to enjoy the food.

“So Bowser,” Rosalina asked, “You asked me what my life is like. I'd like to ask you the same question.”

Bowser, with a mouth full of food, said, “Running a kingdom is-”

Bowser interrupted himself. Realizing what he was doing he quickly finished chewing before speaking again.

“Sorry about that. I completely forgot I was even in the middle of eating.”

Rosalina laughed slightly, “Don't worry about it. Please continue.”

“As I was saying. Running a kingdom isn't as hard as you'd imagine. Most of the time, I'm just sitting on my throne, waiting for something to happen. Some days, nothing happens at all.”

“I guess things can get pretty boring at times.”

“Yeah. Sometimes though, when it gets real slow, I'll do something with my son, Bowser Jr.. He loves it when I spend time with him.”

Rosalina took a sip from her glass.

“I can imagine. Kids always love to spend time with their parents. You always have to make sure you're there for everything. They grow up so fast.”

“You're right about that. It seems like it was only just yesterday that he was learning to walk.”

Both Rosalina and Bowser continued to eat. Bowser occasionally looked up to see how Rosalina liked the food.

“Hey Rosalina, what kind of stuff do you do with your children?”

“Oh I'll do all sorts of things with them. I'll play some music for them, I'll bake with them, and I'll read storybooks to them. Speaking of which, tomorrow we're having storytime. Would your son like to join us for it?”

“That's a great idea. What time?”

“Around three o'clock. We can wait a bit if you're busy at that time.”

“No that'll work great. Junior's gonna be excited to hear about this.”

“Alright, I'll see you there.”

Rosalina and Bowser continued to eat their dinner. When they finished, they sat and rested for a while.

“Bowser, that food was wonderful.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. The chefs weren't wrong when they said it won't disappoint.”

“I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was a bit nervous that you might not like it. Just wait until you try the dessert.”

Rosalina began to get up from her seat, but was interrupted by Bowser's mention of dessert.

“Oh, you have dessert? I'm not sure if I can stay for it. It's almost the Lumas' bedtime, and if I'm not there to tuck them in...”

“Are you sure you can't stay for dessert?”

“As much as I'd love to stay, my family needs me.”

“Oh, alright. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yes, we'll meet up tomorrow. Three o'clock, don't forget.”

“Alright, goodbye Rosalina.”

“Goodbye, Bowser.”

Rosalina got up and left to go home. Bowser sat alone in his chair, until one of the chefs came up to him.

“How is everything going, sir?” he said.

“Rosalina had to leave. She needed to take care of her family.”

“I'm sorry to hear that she couldn't stay. Do you still want to have dessert?”

“No, I think I'll skip it tonight. Can you let Junior know that we'll be visiting her tomorrow at three, though?”

“Sure. I will get on that right away.”

The chef Koopa left the room, and Bowser once again sat by himself. He was slightly dismayed that Rosalina had to leave earlier than he had hoped, but he was happy that she cared enough about him to invite him over tomorrow.


	6. Storytime

“When will we get there? Will there be other kids to play with? Will she have snacks?” Bowser Jr. asked his father excitedly as they walked to Rosalina's home.

“We'll be there soon enough, Junior. I think you'll really enjoy yourself.”

As they crested a hill, the spire atop the Comet Observatory came into view.

“Is that it, papa?”

“Yeah, I believe it is.”

Bowser Jr. let go of his father's hand and ran off to the Comet Observatory.

“Hey wait up!” Bowser said.

He caught up to Bowser Jr. and stopped him before going any further.

“I need to tell you right now that I want you to be on your best behavior. Rosalina is very important to me, and I don't want anything happening that could ruin our chances of being together. So please stay out of trouble and don't start any fights, you hear me?”

“Yes, papa. I'll be good.”

Bowser and his son walked up to the Comet Observatory. As they made their way up the stairs, Rosalina walked up to greet them.

“I'm glad you could both make it. You must be Bowser Jr.” she said gesturing to Junior.

“Hi. You're papa's girlfriend, right?”

“Junior, please! What did I just tell you about being on your best behavior.”

Bowser began to blush from embarrassment.

“Sorry about that Rosalina, he's not used to going to visit other people.”

“Don't worry about it Bowser. I'm not used to having people over, myself. I think the last time that happened was when Mario and his friends were here.”

Bowser walked up to Rosalina and held her hand as they walked through the Observatory.

“Junior wouldn't stop asking about if there was anyone else he could play with, or if it was just gonna be the three of us.” Bowser said.

“Oh yes, the Lumas are in the library. He can go introduce himself to them while they wait for storytime to begin. We should be starting soon.”

Bowser Junior overheard Rosalina and began to look for the library. A few minutes later, Bowser and Rosalina walked in. Rosalina sat in her rocking chair next to the fireplace, and Bowser sat near the door behind Junior and the Lumas.

“So are you getting along with the Lumas?” Bowser asked his son.

“Yeah, papa! They're so cute. Can we take one home?”

“I don't think Rosalina would like us doing that. Besides, I'm done with kidnapping.”

“Alright, everyone.” Rosalina said, “We have a couple of guests joining us for storytime today. I'd like you to give a warm welcome to Bowser and Bowser Jr.”

The Lumas in the room began to cheer excitedly. When they stopped, Rosalina continued on.

“Without any further ado, let's begin. “Chapter 1: The Celestial Duo”...”

As Rosalina read through the storybook, everyone in the room stayed silent and still. The words flowed from her mouth in such a way that they captivated everyone around her. The emotion contained within the book was projected throughout the room. Rosalina had a special talent in bringing the stories she read to life. Bowser sat in awe of how well she was able to tell the story. He has never seen anything like this before in his life. The feelings he had for Rosalina had never been stronger than at that point.

When Rosalina finished the storybook, she closed it, sat it down on her lap, looked up, and said, “That is all.”

The Lumas all smiled and cheered. Bowser Junior stood up.

“That was a great story, Miss Rosalina! Did you write it yourself?”

“Yes, I did. It's my favorite story out of the ones I read to the Lumas.”

Rosalina looked around the room at the Lumas and the Koopas. She noticed Bowser seemed upset. Upon further inspection, she discovered he was crying.

“Children, can you please leave. I would like to be with Bowser in private.” she said.

“Alright, I'm gonna go play with the Lumas.” Bowser Jr. replied.

Bowser Jr. and the Lumas filed out of the library, and Rosalina knelt down next to Bowser.

“Bowser, is there something wrong?” she whispered.

“The girl in that story. That was you, wasn't it.” Bowser said through his tears.

“Yes, it was. Are you upset about what happened to me?”

“It... It reminded me of my own childhood, and my relationship with my father.”

“Do you want to take a seat and talk about it with me? I promise I won't tell anyone if it helps.”

Bowser managed to push through his tears and sat down on one of the chairs next to Rosalina.

“So tell me what it was like. The relationship between you and your father.” Rosalina said.

“Well my father was busy a lot of the time, because he was the king. Any free time he had, he would do everything in his power to spend it with me. He wanted to make sure I grew up to be the best ruler I could. That's what he always told me.”

“Reminds me a lot of how my mother was with me. I understand why you found my story similar.”

“Yeah, well there was a war going on between us and a neighboring kingdom. I was too young to really understand stuff like that, but my father went out to battle personally. He left me in the care of Kamek.”

“So then what happened?”

“Before he left, he told me something. I still remember the exact words. He said, “Bowser, I'm going to be leaving you under the care of Kamek while I'm gone. I trust that you'll keep yourself out of trouble. You're going to make a great king some day. I'm doing this to make sure you have that day. If anything goes wrong and I don't make it back, always remember that I love you. No matter what.”

Bowser began to choke up as he continued his story. Rosalina sat and comforted him.

“He didn't make it back home alive. I still remember the day Kamek brought me the news. We had won the battle, but we lost our King, and I had lost my father.”

“I'm so sorry to hear that, Bowser. I know exactly what it's like to go through something like that. What did you do after it happened?”

“Kamek took care of me until I was old enough to be the new king. After that he still continued to advise me in my decisions. He told me that I needed to have a son of my own. So I sent a request to the storks, and a few weeks later, Junior arrived. He's been the best thing to happen to me ever since.”

Rosalina placed her arm over Bowser's shoulder.

“It sounds like you wanted to follow in your father's footsteps.”

“Yeah, exactly. Just like my father I was too occupied with ruling the kingdom, that I couldn't spend enough time with Junior. I realized he needed a mother. Kamek told me the best shot I would have would be to try to marry Princess Peach.”

“Why is that?”

“My father had always tried to establish a diplomatic connection between our two kingdoms. Kamek and I figured that marrying Peach would be like killing two birds with one stone. I get a mother for Junior, and I accomplish the goal my father had wanted to achieve all at once.”

“But you approached it in the wrong way, and killed your chances with her?”

Bowser drooped his head down.

“Yeah, I learned the hard way that kidnapping a girl tends to make her dislike you. It hit me just a few weeks ago, and I fell into a deep depression. Kamek told me I should try my hand at another girl, and that's where you came in.”

“So all of this is for you to get a mother for your son?”

Bowser looked up nervously at Rosalina.

“Is there something wrong with that?” he said.

“As wonderful of a son as I think he is, I just wouldn't be able to be a mother for him. I have my own family to take care of. And unless the both of you would be okay with giving up your kingdom to live in space, it's unlikely to work.”

“You'd still be able to visit, right?”

“I might not be able to visit as much as I have recently. That's why we built you that starship; you can visit me any time you want with it after I leave.”

“You did all that for me? You're the best!”

Bowser jumped up and hugged Rosalina, almost knocking her over in the process. Rosalina hugged him back.

“There's still one thing. How does any of this have to do with you trying to take over the entire universe twice?”

“Well uh, I think I started getting a bit too in over my head. I figured if I ruled her kingdom, or even the entire universe, then Peach would have to marry me. When the Star Festival came around, I knew it was my best chance. I think we both know what happened from there.”

“Yes I know what happened, I was there. I'm glad that you decided to change your ways, though. I'm sure your father would be proud of you.”

Rosalina reached out and held Bowser's hands. As they held each other's hands, Rosalina hugged Bowser again.

“Thank you, Rosalina. I'm sure he would be. He always told me I'd do great.”

Rosalina stood up and looked toward the door.

“We should go check on the kids now, we've been here for a while.”

Rosalina and Bowser got up and walked out of the library together. They found Bowser Jr. and the Lumas playing together.

“Papa, look at this couch! It's so comfy! Can we get one?” Bowser Jr. shouted to his father.

“It looks like they're getting along well.” Bowser said to Rosalina.

“I'm surprised that the Lumas are getting along with him as well as they are, given the history we've had.”

“Hey, Rosalina.” Bowser said to get her attention.

“Hmm?” Rosalina said as she turned toward Bowser.

“How about we go out for dinner tonight? Just the two of us.”

“Oh, I'd love to do that, but I can't leave the Lumas here again tonight. They need me, and I need to be here for them above all else.”

“Alright, well what about tomorrow?”

“I don't really have anything going on tomorrow, but I'd like to take some time alone.”

“Would you do it, please? For me?”

Bowser stared affectionately at Rosalina. His eyes widened as he desperately tried to convince Rosalina. Rosalina's heart melted as Bowser pleaded with her.

“Oh, alright. I'll go to dinner with you tomorrow you big softie.” she said.

“Thanks a bunch, Rosalina. We can probably also go out earlier to do some other stuff before dinner time.”

“When should we meet up then?”

“I'll come by to pick you up. Be ready around two o'clock.”

“Alright then.”

Bowser looked toward the sun in the sky. It was beginning to set.

“It's getting pretty late.” he said, “We should probably be going around now. Junior! Finish up, we're going to be leaving.”

“Aw, already?” he groaned.

Bowser knelt down beside his son.

“I know you want to keep playing, but we've gotta get home in time for dinner.” he said.

“Okay, papa. I'll say goodbye.”

“Don't forget to thank Rosalina for having us over.”

Bowser Jr. ran up to Rosalina and said, “Thank you Miss Rosalina for having us over.”

“You're very welcome, Junior. I'd love to have you two over here again. The Lumas seemed to really enjoy playing with you.”

The three said their goodbyes, and the Koopas left the Observatory to return home. After they left, Rosalina sat down in her chair in the library. She thought about how Bowser desperately convinced her to go out again the next day. She wondered if Bowser really did love her, or did he just want someone to be his wife. She pushed her concerns aside, hoping that things weren't as bad as she feared, picked up a book, and started to read.


	7. Going Out Again

Rosalina tended to her garden while she waited for Bowser to pick her up. It was something she did whenever she needed to calm her nerves. She knew something was wrong, but couldn't quite figure out what it was. While she watered the flowers around her, she assured herself that the feeling was only anxiety. She wasn't used to going out much, after all. A little while later, she sat down on one of the couches outside her library to wait. Bowser appeared over the horizon, flying in his Clown Car. He came to a stop next to the Observatory.

“Are you ready to go, my little princess?” Bowser asked affectionately.

Rosalina blushed, “Oh, you big softie. Yes, I am ready to go.”

Bowser stretched his hand out for Rosalina, while she flew over him and into the seat next to him.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot you can do that.” Bowser said.

“Goodbye, everyone!” Rosalina shouted to the Lumas, “I'll be back soon!”

Bowser started up the clown car's propeller, and flew off.

“So what did you have in mind for today?” Rosalina asked, “Aside from dinner, of course.”

“Well I figured we could head over to the Toad Town mall and hang out there for the day. That's something girls like to do, right?”

“I can't say I've found much enjoyment out of shopping before, but then again I've never done it. Being someone who lives entirely self sufficient, I've never had the need to do it. It might be fun. Let's try it.”

“It's settled then. Away we go!”

Bowser flew the car to the Toad Town mall. By that point, many of the Toads had heard of Bowser's relationship with Rosalina. A lot of them were still wary about Bowser considering his past actions, but they no longer ran and hid in his presence.

Bowser landed the car and the couple walked into the mall. Several Toads stopped what they were doing and stared at Bowser and Rosalina.

“What is Bowser doing here?” one of the Toads whispered.

“The rumors are true? They really are together?” another said.

Rosalina could hear the whispers of the Toads and began to get nervous.

“I had a feeling something like this was going to happen.” she said to Bowser.

“Don't worry. I'll take care of this.” he replied.

“Alright everyone,” Bowser said in a loud voice, “There's nothing to see here. Just a couple enjoying their day together. Now get back to what you were doing and I won't fry all of you.”

Immediately the Toads returned to business like nothing ever happened. Bowser stood with a proud look on his face.

“I don't get how you do it Bowser.” Rosalina said, “I could never manage to command anything that well.”

“And you manage to be such a good parent to all those Lumas at once. I can barely manage one kid, let alone twenty. So I guess that makes us even.”

Rosalina paused for a moment and looked around.

“Where should we go first.” she said.

Bowser walked up to a map on the wall and looked around for a bit.

“How about we go to the clothing store over there? Maybe we can find something for you other than that blue dress you wear everywhere.”

“I kind of like my dress though. It's very comfortable to wear and I think it looks nice.”

“No, I didn't mean it like that. I like how your dress looks too. I just figured it'd be nice to see how you look in something else for a change.”

“I suppose wearing the same dress for a few centuries does get old. Sure, let's go.”

The couple took off in the direction of the clothing store. Occasionally a Toad would stop and look at them. Bowser assured Rosalina that any concerns she had were all in her head. When they got to the store, they began to wander around.

“If you see anything you like, let me know and we can bring it to the changing rooms.” Bowser said.

While they browsed the clothing racks, Rosalina stopped. A black short sleeve shirt had caught her eye. She rushed over to grab it.

“Look at this, Bowser. This looks great. I just need something to go with it.”

Rosalina thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. She rushed over to grab a pair of blue jeans and brought them back to Bowser.

“Here, I want to go try these on.”

Rosalina entered the nearest changing room. Bowser sat outside and scanned his surroundings for anything else that Rosalina might like. He spotted a short, blue sleeveless dress with a light blue wavy pattern along the bottom. He immediately thought it would be just the kind of thing that she would like, and picked it up to show her when she got out.

“So? What do you think?” Rosalina said as she exited the dressing room with the shirt and jeans on.

“It looks great on you.” Bowser said, “While you were in there I found this dress, and I figured you might like it.”

“I think that's the same dress that Peach told me about a while back. I know she probably wanted to show it to me herself, but I'll try it on here.”

Rosalina returned into the dressing room and tried on the dress that Bowser gave her. When she left, Bowser was still waiting for her.

“Hey that looks really good on you!” he said.

“I know. Peach was right, I do like it. I'm surprised we found stuff that was my size too. I figured it would be a bit hard, but no this was rather easy.”

“So are you happy with what we have here?”

“Yes I am. Let's pay for it and find something else to do.”

Rosalina returned to the dressing room again to put her original dress back on. She and Bowser then purchased the clothing and left back into the mall.

“We still have some time to kill before dinner.” Bowser said looking at the clock in the center of the mall, “Is there anything else you have in mind?”

Rosalina looked at the map on the wall. She thought about where to go next.

“There's a few stores for hobbies around here. I remember you saying something about needing to find a new hobby. Why don't you come take a look and see if there's anything here you might like?”

Bowser looked over the map for a moment.

“You know, it might seem a bit crazy, but I've always wanted to try my hand at painting. Let's go to the art store and see what we can find there.”

“I think you'd be great at it. Let's go see what we can find you.”

The couple wandered into the art store. The Toad clerk at the front of the store was shocked to see Bowser in an art store.

“So is it specifically painting you want to get into?” Rosalina asked.

“Yeah, I figured I wouldn't want to get in too over my head with art. Just something to take up my free time since I'm not kidnapping people anymore.”

“Okay then. We're going to need to find some nice paintbrushes and pencils to start. Obviously some paint. And a drawing book. Possibly also an easel.”

“Well what are we standing around here for, then? Let's go find what we need.”

Rosalina and Bowser searched the store for the supplies they needed. Along the way, Bowser talked to Rosalina about what he would paint first.

“So do you think I should do a scenery painting or maybe one of us?” he asked.

“It's your paint, you can make whatever you want.”

“Yeah, you're right. I'll think about it some more.”

Rosalina and Bowser finished gathering the supplies, and made their way out of the store, and sat down on a nearby bench.

“Man I can't wait to give this stuff a try.” Bowser said, “I gotta figure out what to make first.”

The sun shone through the doors on the other side of the mall, and the clock in the center began to chime.

“Oh hey, it's five o'clock already.” Bowser said, “We should probably get going to dinner. I can't believe it's already that late.”

“Time flies, doesn't it.” Rosalina said.

“It sure does. Especially when I'm with you.”

Rosalina blushed, “Oh, you're too sweet.”

Bowser stood up from the bench.

“We should probably get going to dinner now.” he said.

“Yes, we should.”

The couple exited the mall and took off once again.

“So what exactly did you have in mind tonight?” Rosalina asked.

“I figured we could change things up a bit. There's this great seafood restaurant down by the shore. I hope you don't mind it.”

“I don't mind it at all. I'm just glad that we're having dinner a little early, so that way I can get home to the Lumas sooner. I hope they can manage alright without me.”

“Hey, if they could manage all those years before you came along, I'm sure they'll be fine for a few hours.”

“I believe they had someone watching over them before me, but it would take me a while to explain all of that. You're probably right though, they should be able to manage a few hours alone. Maybe I just worry too much about them.”

Bowser landed the car near the seafood restaurant, and the couple went inside. They found that the restaurant wasn't that busy, and one of the Lakitus working at the restaurant immediately went to greet the couple.

“Hello, how may I help you?” he asked.

“Yes, can I get a table for two, please? Oh, and make it a window seat if you can.” Bowser said.

“Window seat for two coming right up. Just follow me.”

Bowser and Rosalina were led to a table next to a window overlooking the ocean. They both sat down and picked up the menus.

“I'll give you some time to look over the menus.” the Lakitu said as he left to wait on another table.

“So what do you think I should get?” Bowser asked.

“I'm not sure, myself.” Rosalina replied, “All of these look great.”

The two continued to look over the menus. The sun sat low over the ocean, and the sound of the waves filled the restaurant.

“Alright, I think I know what I'm getting.” Bowser said as he put his menu down, “What about you?”

“I think I've made up my mind as well.” Rosalina said as she set her menu down on the table.

The Lakitu returned to their table with a notepad and pencil in hand.

“Have you two made up your minds yet?” he said.

“Yeah, I'll take the crab legs, and I'm feeling like having lemonade to drink.” Bowser said.

“Alright, and what about you?” the Lakitu said, pointing toward Rosalina.

“Yes, I will take the Cheep-Cheep filet with the lemon tea.”

“Alright, sure thing. I'll bring your drinks out first, and your food will be out shortly after.”

The Lakitu left the table again, and Rosalina and Bowser sat to wait for their meals. Rosalina stared out the window and into the ocean. Bowser looked around the restaurant.

“You know, Rosalina. I'm a bit unsure of myself with this whole painting thing. What if I'm not good at it?” Bowser said.

“That's just beginner's anxiety. I felt the exact same when I first started writing. I wasn't sure if the Lumas would enjoy my stories. I just decided to start, and I don't mean to brag, but I think they've come out very nicely.”

“Yeah from what I've seen, you did a really good job. Maybe I've got it in me to be creative.”

“I think you'll do great, too.”

Rosalina smiled at Bowser, and he looked deeply into her eye.

“Has anyone ever told you that your smile could warm even the coldest of hearts?” Bowser said.

“My father always said I had a beautiful smile. Thank you, Bowser.”

The Lakitu arrived at the table with a teacup and glass in his hands. He set them gently on the table in front of the couple.

“Here you go,” he said, “Your food should be out shortly.”

Rosalina slowly stirred her tea, while Bowser began to drink his lemonade.

“Make sure you don't drink it all before the food gets here, Bowser.” Rosalina said.

Bowser sat his glass back on the table.

“Yeah you're probably right.” he said.

There was a brief silence as the two sat alone in thought.

“You know, Bowser. I think you're a great person.” Rosalina said.

“Really? You'd say that even after everything I've done?”

“I don't think you've ever had any truly bad intentions. You told me yourself, you did everything for your family. I think you were just misguided in life. You needed a sense of direction.”

“Thank you, Rosalina.” Bowser said as he began to tear up, “That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.”

Later on, their food was ready, and the couple began to eat. Occasionally one of them would break the silence with some small talk, but they mostly kept to themselves while they ate. When they finished, they began to talk again while they rested.

“I must say, Bowser,” Rosalina said, “you certainly have a talent for finding the best food.”

“Hey, if the stuff is essential for life, you might as well make it good. That's what I've always said.”

Rosalina looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set below the ocean.

“Oh, it's getting late, isn't it? I should probably get back home now. The Lumas are going to want me home.” she said.

“You sure you don't want to stop for dessert first? I know a great ice cream parlor we can go to.”

“Maybe another time, Bowser. I really need to be getting back home right now.”

“Alright, I'll get the check for dinner then. You can wait outside for me if you'd like.”

Bowser finished paying for their dinner, and the couple took off again to return to the Comet Observatory. They arrived just as the sun set behind the horizon.

“Thank you so much for taking me out today, Bowser.” Rosalina said, “I really had a great time today.”

“I had a great time too. We should do something like it again soon. Hey, that new Captain Toad movie is coming out tomorrow. Why don't we go see it when it comes out?”

“That sounds great, but I really should be taking some time to take care of the Lumas. I've been out a lot over the past week.”

“Please? For me?” Bowser begged, “I'll be so happy if you do it.”

Rosalina sighed, “Oh, alright. But I can't be doing stuff like this as often as I am. I have a family I need to take care of.”

“Thank you so much, Rosalina. I'll be around in a couple days to pick you up for the movie. It should be around the same time I got here today. I can't wait to see you then!”

Bowser took off to return home. Rosalina took the bags of clothing from that day's shopping trip and sat them down in her bedroom. She sat on her bed and sighed.

“How do I keep getting myself into these situations?” she asked herself.


	8. Movies, Birthdays, and Heartbreak

The following afternoon, Bowser arrived to pick Rosalina up. However, she was not waiting for him like she was the last time. Bowser immediately got out the Clown Car and went to find her.

“Rosalina?” he said as he checked each room on the Observatory.

Eventually, he made his way into Rosalina's bedroom, where he found her frantically brushing her hair.

“Oh, why won't it stay down?” Rosalina said to herself.

“I was wondering where you were.” Bowser said to her.

Rosalina stopped to turn around.

“Oh, Bowser! I didn't know you were here already.”

“What's taking you so long?” Bowser said, “We're gonna be late for the movie.”

“I know. It's just that I was up late trying to take care of some things around the Observatory, and I ended up sleeping in as a result. So here I am trying to get ready in time for the movie.”

Bowser took a look at Rosalina. She obviously didn't get much sleep, and her hair looked like she had just gotten out of bed.

“Well, just finish getting ready. I'll wait outside for you.” he said.

“Okay, I shouldn't be too much longer. I just need to figure out how to get my hair to cooperate.”

Bowser left Rosalina to finish her preparations, and he sat on the edge of the Comet Observatory. A little while after, Rosalina walked up to him.

“Alright, I'm ready to go.” she said.

“About time.” Bowser replied, “Let's get out of here.”

The couple took off to the movie theater. On the way, Rosalina thought to herself about the Lumas. She wondered if they would be okay with her being gone again. She had no problem with leaving them for one day, but leaving them for two days in a row began to make her worried. She didn't want to make Bowser upset though. She knew what he had gone through before he found her, and she knew what would happen if they broke up.

When they arrived at the movie theater, they still had a few minutes before the movie started. Bowser walked up to the ticket booth.

“Hi, can I get two tickets for the two-thirty showing of Captain Toad?” he said as he handed a pile of coins to the Toad working the booth.

“Two tickets for Captain Toad?” the Toad said as he inspected the tickets, “Enjoy the movie.”

Bowser and Rosalina walked into the theater and made their way to the concessions stand.

“Good thing I got those tickets last night.” Bowser said, “I was able to get some great seats.”

“You sure put a lot of forethought into these dates.” Rosalina said.

They stopped in front of a bench near the stand.

“Wait here, I'll get us some snacks.” Bowser said, “Do you have any preferences?”

“Just popcorn, I guess. Oh, don't bother getting me a soda. Just get me a water.”

“Okay, got it.”

Bowser went to purchase the snacks for the movie. Rosalina sat alone on the bench. The concerns of the Lumas one again entered her mind. She knew they would be able to take care of themselves for a couple hours, but the concerns loomed in her head. If Bowser kept taking her out every single day, how much longer could she keep this up? She figured that Bowser probably wouldn't ask her to go out three days in a row. While she was thinking over the situation she was in, Bowser interrupted her.

“Hey, I got the snacks. Are you ready to go?” he said.

“Oh, yes I am.” Rosalina said as she stood up.

“Could you hold the snacks for a minute? I gotta get our tickets ready.” Bowser said as he handed Rosalina the popcorn and drinks.

The couple walked toward the theater entrances, where a Toad usher was waiting. Bowser handed the tickets over to the Toad, and he handed back the stubs.

“Enjoy the show.” the Toad said as Bowser and Rosalina walked past.

The two made their way into the theater room and found their seats. As they sat waiting for the movie to start, Bowser began to eat his popcorn.

“Don't eat all of it now,” Rosalina said, “or you won't have any for the actual movie.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Bowser replied.

While they sat waiting for the movie to start, Rosalina again began to worry about the Lumas. No matter what she did she was unable to shake the feeling that she was neglecting them in favor of going out with Bowser. She felt like she had to say something to him, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings in the process. She decided now was not the time to bring anything up, and to just sit back and enjoy the movie.

“Oh hey, the movie is starting.” Bowser said.

He looked out at his popcorn bucket, which was now almost empty.

“Hey, uh, can I borrow some of your popcorn?” he asked.

“You ate all of yours didn't you?” Rosalina replied.

“Perhaps.”

Rosalina sighed and shook her head.  
“It's fine, you can have some of mine. I probably wasn't going to eat all of it anyway.”

As the movie started, the two sat in silence. Neither of them said anything during the movie. Occasionally Rosalina would remember the Lumas, but she kept reassuring herself that they would be fine. She told herself that everything would work out, and to just enjoy the movie.

After the movie ended, Bowser and Rosalina made their way back outside. As they stepped outside, they were blinded by the sunlight after being in the dark theater.

“You know. No matter how many movies you go to, you never get used to leaving and getting blinded by the sun.” Bowser said.

“You've clearly never flown past a star before. Going outside is nothing compared to that.” Rosalina said.

They began to walk to the Clown Car on the other end of the parking lot.

“So what did you think about the movie?” Bowser asked.

“It was alright.” Rosalina said, “You know I actually met Captain Toad in person before. I have to say, he's not terribly similar to the character they give him on screen.”

“Really you met him? When was this?”

“It was during that time you were in space. He formed a small group of Toads and I helped them construct their own starship. He took them all over the universe to help Mario. I guess he became popular enough that a movie series was made about him.”

“That's so cool. If you ever see him again, tell him I said hi.”

The couple got into the Clown Car and began to take off.

“Another thing I'd like to point out about the movie.” Rosalina said, “Their depiction of space isn't all that accurate. I mean, there's not a single star bit in sight for the entire film.”

“If anyone knows what it's like out there, it's definitely you. And hey, they probably didn't have access to deep space travel to know what it's like out there.”

“Fair enough. I just figured that given the main character of the film, they could have at least gotten some information.”

“You gotta admit though, that fight against the space dragon was epic.”

“You're right. I was on the edge of my seat during that part. Even with all the artistic license used, the movie was still enjoyable.”

Rosalina leaned over to look down at the land below as they flew over. Bowser turned toward Rosalina and noticed she looked a bit more upset than usual.

“Hey, is something wrong Rosalina?” he asked.

“No, I'm fine. It's just that I'm a bit concerned about the Lumas. They've had to be without me for a couple days. I'm just worried that they won't be alright.”

“Don't worry about it. I'll get you home as fast as I can.”

Bowser flew directly for the Comet Observatory. When they arrived, he pulled up to the side and dropped Rosalina off.

“Oh, I forgot to mention earlier.” Bowser said, “Tomorrow is Junior's birthday. Do you think you could come? He'd absolutely love it if you could.”

“Bowser, I'd love to come, but I'm not sure if I can make it. I'll see what I can do.”

“Alright. Thank you so much Rosalina. I really hope you can make it.”

Bowser returned home, leaving Rosalina standing by herself in the Observatory. Later that day, Polari wandered into Rosalina's bedroom to find her laying on her bed.

“Miss Rosalina, is something wrong? You haven't left your room since you returned.” he said.

“Polari, I have a problem. Something about this relationship with Bowser isn't working.”

Rosalina told Polari about Bowser's desire to take her out on a date every day, despite her need to take care of the Lumas. She also told him about Bowser's request to have Rosalina over for Bowser Jr.'s birthday.

“So I'm at a loss for what to do.” Rosalina said, “If I don't go to the birthday party tomorrow, Bowser will be upset with me. He's too attached to me, wants to be with me every day, but I can't have that and take care of the Lumas at the same time. I don't know what to do anymore.”

Polari comforted Rosalina.

“You've been through a lot over the years you've spent taking care of the Lumas.” he said, “I think you'll know what the best decision here is.”

“I know I need to stay here and be with the Lumas. I've neglected them for a couple days now, but Bowser is going to be upset if I don't go tomorrow.”

“You know, sometimes sacrifices need to be made. There's hardly a situation where everything ends well for everyone.”

“You're right. I know what I need to do now. I just hope that Bowser understands.”

The next day, at Bowser's castle. Bowser celebrated Bowser Jr.'s birthday. As the day stretched on, however, Bowser began to realize that Rosalina wasn't coming. He began to get more agitated.

“That was the best birthday ever, papa!” Bowser Jr. said as he sat in front of the half-eaten birthday cake.

“You say that about your birthday every year, Junior.” Bowser said.

“That's because it's true every year. Too bad Miss Rosalina didn't get to come. I bet she would have loved it.”

“Yeah, about that. I'm a little upset, too. She told me she would make it.”

Kamek chimed in, “Are you sure those were her exact words, sir?”

“Well, she said she would try to make it, but you know what I mean.” Bowser said angrily.

“I don't think it's anything to get upset over, sir. She probably had something going on. You remember she's the mother to all those baby stars, right?”

Bowser began to get angrier. Kamek could see him becoming more upset.

“It doesn't matter! She knew it was Junior's birthday today! She should have come over!”

“Papa, please don't get angry.”

“Junior, you know there's no getting through to your father when he gets like this.”

“I'm gonna go talk to her. I'm really upset that she did this to you, Junior. Kamek, watch Junior while I'm gone.”

Bowser stormed off to go to the Comet  
Observatory.

“Oh dear.” Kamek said.

At the Comet Observatory, Rosalina was beginning to have the Lumas settle down for bedtime. While she got them ready for bed, she heard a loud crash outside. She immediately ran out to see what it was. She found Bowser had landed the Clown Car right next to the Observatory.

“Rosalina! I can't believe you'd just ditch me like that! After everything we've been through together!” he shouted.

“Bowser? Is this because I couldn't make it to your son's birthday? I told you that I wasn't sure if I could make it.”

“Yet here you are, just slacking off at home!”

“I'm taking care of my family. I enjoy being with you, but my family comes first. I haven't been able to give them the time I need to because you keep taking me out on dates every single day.”

“Junior is practically like a son for you! You should have taken time to be with him on his birthday!”

Rosalina flew right up in front of Bowser's face. He could see she was visibly angry.

“Is that what this is all about? Did you do all this just to get me to be your wife like you did with Peach? You know what? Maybe I was wrong! Maybe you are still just a villain! I can't be with you anymore! Don't bother talking to me anymore!” Rosalina shouted.

Rosalina turned around and walked away from Bowser.

“Fine!” Bowser cried, “I don't need you anyway! I'll find someone else who will give my family the respect they deserve!”

Bowser took off in the Clown Car to return home, tears streaked down his face as he flew. Rosalina stood and watched as he dipped below the horizon. A deep feeling of regret emerged. She slowly walked to her bedroom and laid on her bed. Polari entered her room to find her laying face first into her pillow.

“Miss, Rosalina. I heard a commotion outside. Is everything okay?” he asked.

Rosalina turned over and sat up.

“No. Bowser showed up. He was very angry with me for not going to that birthday party. We had a fight and broke up. I was afraid this would happen.”

“Miss Rosalina, I'm sorry.”

“He was extremely upset when he left. I'm afraid that I was too harsh with him.”

“Just get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning. I'll finish taking care of the Lumas.”

“Thank you, Polari. At least you're still here for me.”

Rosalina got ready for bed and tried to sleep. The argument between her and Bowser haunted her. Was she too harsh on him? Was she wrong for getting upset at him? Was Bowser going to return to kidnapping because of her? All these thoughts loomed over her as she lay in bed. It was a long while before she finally fell asleep.


	9. Reunion

The next morning, the sun shone bright directly through Bowser's window. He slumped out of bed and slowly walked to his throne room. He dropped himself into his throne and sat half-asleep. All feeling of happiness was drained from him after the events of the previous night. As Bowser sat near lifeless, Kamek entered the room. He took one look at the depressive state Bowser had gotten himself into again, and decided he had to take action now.

Kamek stormed directly up to Bowser and said, “Listen here. You're not about to go into this cycle again. I'm going to make sure of it. Now come on, get up.”

“Kamek don't bother. You remember what I told you, didn't you? She said we were through! She told me I was just the same villain I've always been!”

“Something tells me you never gave the full story. Why exactly did she say those things to you?”

“She said something about how she needed to spend more time with her family and not me, and that I was taking up too much of her time or something.”

Kamek sighed, “You went and tried to control her life, didn't you? Didn't I tell you to not do exactly that when you first asked her out?”

“I don't remember you telling me that.”

Kamek paused. His face began to turn red. He took a deep breath and said, “Listen, we don't have time right now to worry about who said what or who remembered what. Right now, you need to find Rosalina and apologize to her.”

“Forget it, there's now way she's gonna forgive me. She was so mad at me last night. Maybe she was right about me being a villain. I guess I'll just go back to kidnapping the princess.”

“No, I'm not letting you do that. You and I both know you don't want it to come to that again. I saw you and Rosalina together. You were the happiest you've ever been in years.”

Bowser sat up in his throne.

“Really? I guess I never really noticed that.” he said.

“You loved her, and there's no doubt about it she loved you. I guarantee you right now she's equally as devastated about this whole situation, and I'd bet my life that she'd love nothing more than for the two of you to make up and get back together again.”

Bowser leaned forward in his seat, becoming more interested in what Kamek had to say.

“You really think that? She'd be willing to take me back even after what I did?”

“You only have one way to find out. If you don't apologize to her, she's going to return back into space, and you won't be able to find her again. This is your only chance.”

Bowser stood up from his throne. His eyes gleaming with a fierce determination.

“I know what I have to do. I'm gonna find her, and I'm gonna get us back together even if it kills me!”

“Now that's the Bowser I know! What are you waiting for? Get going!”

Bowser ran out the door of the throne room and out toward the Comet Observatory.

“Hey don't you think you should take the Clown Car? It'd be much faster!” Kamek shouted from the balcony down to Bowser, but he was already too far away to hear him.

Bowser ran as fast as he could to the Comet Observatory. When he arrived he was tired and breathless from running. He looked around the entire Observatory, but Rosalina was nowhere to be found. He spotted Polari tending to the greenery around the ship.

“Hey, you! Luma!” Bowser shouted.

Polari turned around and was shocked to see Bowser return.

“Bowser? What are you doing here? Especially after last night.” he said.

“I need to know where Rosalina is. I have to talk to her.”

“Rosalina isn't here right now. If you want I can relay your message to her.”

“No, I need to talk to her personally. It's very important. Do you know where she is?”

“I don't have the exact location. All I know is that she told me she was going out to a diner. She said that maybe taking herself out to eat would help her feel better.”

“I suppose that's the best lead I'm gonna get.”

Bowser leapt off the Observatory and ran off to find Rosalina.

“Oh, I suppose you could also wait-”, Polari tried to say to Bowser, “Oh nevermind, he's already gone. It must be that important.”

Bowser had a gut feeling that he knew where Rosalina would be. He only hoped that she would forgive him for his actions. He knew that no matter what, he had to keep their relationship intact. Nothing in the universe would be able to keep him happy if he ever lost her.

Meanwhile, Rosalina sat at the counter of the same diner that she and Bowser had their first date. A handful of other customers were there along with her, but she sat by herself with a cup of coffee in hand. Kevin noticed that she looked sad, and took it upon himself to see what was wrong.

“Hey, you're that girl that Bowser brought with him the other week, right?” he said.

Rosalina looked up from her drink and took notice of Kevin.

“Yes, I think I remember you. Your name is Kevin, right?”

“Yeah and you're Rosalina, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, why the long face?”

“Well you see, Bowser and I had a bit of an argument. We're no longer dating.”

“What? That's insane! You two were like a match made in heaven!”

“I wish it didn't come to this. The problem was that he would take me on these dates every single day, and I wasn't able to accommodate for it, because I have a family I need to take care of.”

“Really? That's rough. You guys should have been able to just talk it out though.”

“Well that's the problem. I never said anything to him until it was too late. I kind of exploded on him, and told him that we were through. I wish I had spoken sooner. Maybe we could have resolved our problems without a fight. Now I may never get the chance to.”

While Rosalina sat stirring her coffee, Bowser charged through the door of the diner. He was completely breathless from running. Everyone in the diner stopped what they were doing and looked to see Bowser standing in front of the door, tired and soaking wet.

“Well I suppose this is your chance.” Kevin said.

Bowser walked up to where Rosalina was sitting.

“Bowser, I- Did you run all the way here?” Rosalina said, surprised.

“Rosalina, before you say anything I need to tell you that I'm sorry for what I did. I put my interests and wants ahead of everything, including you.” Bowser said.

“Bowser. You came all the way out here to apologize to me?”

“I didn't do it just to say sorry. I did it to say that, well, I love you. Will you forgive me?”

Rosalina stood up and held Bowser's hands. She then immediately let go of his hands, as they were covered in sweat. Mildly disgusted, Rosalina grabbed the nearest napkin and wiped her hands off.

“Bowser, I need to tell you something too. I'm sorry for not telling you that there was something wrong. I shouldn't have let it get to the point that it got to last night. I shouldn't have lashed out at you the way I did. Please forgive me for it.”

“I'll absolutely forgive you, if it means we're together again.”

“Absolutely. Truth be told, I felt something when I met you in that park. What I felt was the strongest force the universe can possibly create. That feeling is love. I love you, Bowser.”

Kevin stood with a smile on his face.

“Don't you just love happy endings?” he said as she shed a tear.

Bowser leaned in to hug Rosalina. She put up a force field between the two, as Bowser was still dripping with sweat.

“One more thing.” Rosalina said, “Please take a shower.”

Over the course of the next week, Bowser and Rosalina enjoyed their time together. They went for walks in the park, Rosalina played music for Bowser, and even taught Bowser how to paint. Of course, they both had time to themselves as well. Bowser wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. When Rosalina's visit finally came to an end, all of her friends gathered at the Comet Observatory to see her off.

“I can't believe I won't have to worry about getting kidnapped by Bowser anymore.” Peach said, “I guess I don't need Mario to take care of me anymore, huh?”

Mario felt his heart sink in his chest, and looked to Peach with an expression of both anger and shock.

“Miss Rosalina, do you have to go now?” Bowser Jr. said.

“I'm afraid I do,” she replied, “I do have something for you though. It's sort of a late birthday present I made.”

Rosalina handed Bowser Jr. a plush Luma.

“It's so cute! I love it! Thank you so much!” Bowser Jr. said.

“I know how much you enjoyed playing with the Lumas, so I made something for you to remember us by.”

Bowser walked up to Rosalina. He held a canvas in his hands.

“I made this for you, Rosalina.” he said, “It's a painting of us. So you can always remember us.”

Bowser handed Rosalina the painting. It depicted the couple sitting on a hill watching the sunset.

“It's beautiful, Bowser.” Rosalina said, “I know the perfect place to put it.”

“Do you really have to go, Rosalina?” Bowser pleaded, “Are you sure you can't just stay for one more week?”

“I'm sorry Bowser, but as much as I enjoyed being with you. The Lumas can't stay grounded like this. I need to be with them in space.”

“Good thing we built that spaceship so I can visit you though, right?”

“Please do visit me. Just try not to visit too often. I look forward to seeing you again, but you have a kingdom of your own to run down here. Make your father proud.”

Rosalina hugged Bowser, and kissed him on the cheek. Bowser began to blush as he hugged her back.

At last, Rosalina boarded the Comet Observatory and prepared it for launch.

“Goodbye, Rosalina!” everyone on the ground said as she took off back into space.

After the Comet Observatory left, everyone went to return home. Later that night, Bowser walked out to where the Observatory sat during Rosalina's visit. He sat down, and looked up to the stars in the sky.

“Thank you, Rosalina.” he said.

“I'll always love you. No matter how far away you are.”


End file.
